And while we are able to provide these options and opportunities for our clients, how exactly did the initial option, access to music therapy, come to be?

I recall my first days as a professional in the field. I had recently completed my internship at the Waco VA hospital, working largely with musical/clinical improvisation and re-creative methods, mostly with veterans from World War I, II, and the Vietnam War. I excitedly found myself with my first job working in a school district setting through an agency, contracting all over the metroplex. I was fortunate to have a mentor with me that first and second day. Those who know Kathleen Coleman are aware of her driving passion for the field, and her extensive knowledge of working in special education settings. Needless to say, those first two days with Kathleen allowed me to glean so much valuable knowledge; they played a role in who I am as a professional today.

It is also important to mention that Kathleen Coleman, along with other music therapists in the area such as (but not limited to) Leslie Thurmond, Debbie Dacus, and Betsey King, played a critical role in advocating for music therapy in the special education setting. It was their knocking on doors, their not taking no for an answer, their ability to find multiple inroads, their presentations to countless organizations and administrators, their creation of options and opportunities, that have established music therapy practices in school districts across the metroplex. Perhaps this is an unsung past, one that we need to keep in mind as we move forward. It was their belief, and their actualization, of effective music therapy work and advocacy, that has made things much easier for many of us!

This past year, we have witnessed a burgeoning of music therapy exposure....through books such as Jodi Picoult's Sing You Home, through the acclaimed movie The Music Never Stopped , as well as through new celebrity advocates such as Ben Folds. We have also witnessed two states, North Dakota and Arizona, finalize a music therapy licensure, while many other states are seeking recognition or licensure. We've also seen an outgrowth of media-related interest to music therapy on the news, in-part due to the excellent work being done by music therapists in many settings. And of course, we've seen increasing utilization of social media technology, such as blogs, twitter, and facebook, to increase awareness about who we are and what we do.

For the younger generations, integrating the latest social media technology with their work is often a given. For those of us who are, ahem, no longer a part of the younger generations, we may or may not use these technologies. Fortunately, there are many ways and means to increase music therapy awareness, and many ways to play a part in increasing access to services.

What is Advocacy?

Advocacy is for anyone. Advocacy happens everywhere, any day of the week, any time you are engaging in a professional capacity. You can advocate at every level, from grassroots in your community to state agencies and governors to national legislators. In fact, any opportunity and conversation is a way to advocate for the profession.

Advocacy also happens within our profession--as when you talk to a person trained in music therapy about board certification. Plus, the skills needed to be an advocate are skills you already have, since you already advocate for your clients, your employment, and your pay.

Advocacy is a language. You need to know your audience and tailor your advocacy skills for that audience. It's just like tailoring your clinical skills for different clinical populations. Don’t forget that experience is the best teacher--having your audience experience music therapy firsthand is very powerful.

What is the State Recognition Operational Plan and why is it important to music therapy?

The State Recognition Operational Plan is a national initiative being implemented jointly by CBMT and AMTA to obtain state recognition of music therapy and the MT-BC credential. This collaborative effort between AMTA Government Relations staff and CBMT Regulatory Affairs staff provides guidance and technical support to state task forces throughout the country as groups of music therapists work toward recognition as defined by their particular state.

The Plan involves increasing awareness of the music therapy profession and of what it means to be board-certified. The ultimate goal is that, in all situations, the MT-BC be a minimum requirement as a service provision in every work setting.

One of the challenges each of us may face as we seek to advocate is that it might feel like we are taking something we find so individualized, so personally valuable, so challenging to describe, and turn it into an adulterated commodity.

It certainly is not necessary to, in an extroverted sense, advocate or advertise to be an effective music therapist. Perhaps the purest form of music therapy advocacy exists in the quality work that we take part in every session. A colleague once mentioned during a discussion that it really comes down to us being awesome at what we do.

However, advocacy and outreach, in their many forms, seek to promote increased access to music therapy services. We might wish to increase awareness in private sector settings, or through state recognition, or through more transparent and accessible reimbursement procedures, or we may want individuals to be more aware of music therapy through the media. In this way of approaching advocacy, we create that vital initial opportunity.

If we are authentic about how we advocate, we won't go wrong. If you like, you can take this quiz developed by Dena Register about the different types of advocacy, and see how you may best fit into the differing ways to approach advocacy.

You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.

- Pablo Casals

What will the field of music therapy look like in the future? Our visions and our actions will, no doubt, play a major role. I encourage you to find your best fit for contribution, and help to make the world worthy of the future generations of music therapists, and the future generations of music therapy clients.